Big dance at the center on Friday

The big dance is tomorrow, Friday, Oct. 11, at the Ross Aragon Community Center.

Dance, and make a difference.

Come to the center and dance the night away with DJ Dude, while supporting our local non-profits.

This event will host seven local non-profits that make a difference in our community: Archuleta County Seniors, Inc., Habitat for Humanity, Justice Ministries, Mercy Home Health, Archuleta County Crime Stoppers, Pagosa Springs Head Start, and Archuleta County Veterans for Veterans.

Voting will take place at the event and the top three non-profits will each receive a third of the total proceeds from the dance. No silent auction, no live auction —just a night of dancing and fun with great people and representatives of these wonderful non-profit organizations.

Hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar will be available during the adults-only (18-plus) event. Tickets are on sale now for $12 at the Ross Aragon Community Center or you can buy tickets from one of the listed agencies. Tickets will be $15 at the door.

Halloween

It’s that time again! The staff at the Ross Aragon Community Center is preparing up for the 10th annual Halloween Carnival.

If you are interested in donating candy, please make sure all candy is wrapped individually. Candy donations can be dropped off at the center Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

If you are interested in helping decorate or helping at the event, please call us or stop by the Ross Aragon Community Center to get signed up.

The spooktacular Halloween Carnival on Oct. 26 is free to anyone and everyone. A haunted house, costume contest and many games and activities are offered at this event. The costume contest has several age brackets — 0-4, 5-9, 10-14 and 15-older. So, make sure to dress up all of your monsters, ghosts and witches for this one-of-a-kind evening.

The carnival takes place Oct. 26 from 4-6 p.m.

For more information, or if you would like to help with this event, stop by the community center or call us at 264-4152.

Festival of Trees

We have now started accepting applications from those wishing sponsor a tree at the Festival of Trees.

If you would like to help out local non-profits, but are not sure how, this is a great opportunity to show your passion for the season and help out a local organization at the same time.

Applications are due back to the community center no later than Nov. 22. If you are interested, or if you would like more information on this event, stop by the community center or call us at 264-4152.

Free programs

Computer Class: Becky Herman has put together a new, free Excel class. Learn how to navigate, how to create a spreadsheet, or how to insert mathematical formulas into your documents, as well as how to share your Excel creations. She is also helping those who have a tablet and aren’t sure how to get the most out of it. Call Becky for details at 264-2171 or 903-0788, or e-mail her at becky.herman98@gmail.com.

Qigong: This is one of the oldest known health systems, dating from 700 BC. Lynnis Steinert is a Tai Chi master and has been teaching Qigong and Tai Chi for 14 years. She started studying Tai Chi and Qigong 20 years ago with several teachers and masters of this ancient Chinese exercise. The purpose of Qigong is to maintain and improve health, improve strength and balance, and encourage stillness in both mind and body. The goal in this class is to open and stretch every join and muscle group in the entire body. The exercise opens the energetic pathways to facilitate good health. The exercises are gentle, but over time have a very positive effect on the body. Stop by the center on Mondays to join in on this program. Call the center for more information.

Pickleball: Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8-11 a.m. If you would like to learn the game of pickleball, or just need a pickleball fix, join us to learn this fun and exciting game. Loaner paddles are available. All you advanced players, come in on Mondays from 10-11 a.m. Contact Fran if you have any questions, 884-3184.

Tai Chi: Join instructors Pam Kircher and Anna O’Reilly every Wednesday and Friday at 11 a.m. for an hour of Tai Chi. This is a slow, gentle exercise that improves balance, strength, flexibility and lung capacity while reducing stress and increasing an overall sense of well-being. Come on down with a bottle of water and some flat-soled shoes. Class is open to anyone and no experience is necessary.

Hoopsters: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8-9 a.m. Hoopsters are a great group of guys getting out there twice a week for a good, old-fashioned game of basketball. If interested, just drop in and check it out.

Sozo Yoga: Thursdays, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Sozo Yoga is a Christ-centered flow class that moves from one pose to another with fluidity. This class is held to Christian music; it begins with a scripture and relaxing warm-up, and then flows into a series of poses that increase the heart rate, detoxify the body, strengthen the muscles, and, finally, finishes with deep relaxation. Students are encouraged to go at their own pace and no prior yoga experience is required. Call the center for information, 264-4152.

Dulcimer: The dulcimer is an entry folk instrument, not as difficult as the guitar to learn. If you would like to learn to play this instrument, come to the center on Wednesdays 2-3:30 p.m. Call the center for information at 264-4152.

Belly dancing: A pleasant aerobic exercise, dancing brings well-known benefits, such as reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, weight control and more. Belly dance helps to develop muscle control and isolation, graceful arms, and body conditioning from head to toe. Join Carla Roberts on Wednesdays, 3:30-4:45 p.m. Call the center for information, 264-4152.

Hand drum class: Learn to play the hand drum in a free class Wednesday evenings from 5-6 p.m. Local percussionist Carla Roberts will offer “The Ancient Art of Hand Drumming,” a study of the goblet-shaped hand drum, the doumbek, popular in the dance world. Roberts has played the doumbek professionally for the last 25 years and incorporates a variety of techniques and learning styles to make this free class accessible to beginners, as well as experienced drummers. If you have been curious about drumming and all its benefits, come and experience the joy and challenge of playing percussion in a group. No previous experience is required and drums are available if you do not have one. Bring a drum if you do have one. For more information, call Roberts at 903-6478.

The Ross Aragon Community Center has the space you are looking for. We have reasonably priced rooms to meet your event needs. The community center hours are Monday–Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday by appointment only. The center is located at 451 Hot Springs Blvd. Phone 264-4152, e-mail communitycenter@centurytel.net.